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Baghdad bans Turkish plans from landing in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Nov 19 (KUNA) -- Iraq will ban Turkish airplanes from landing in Iraqi airports as of tomorrow in retaliation of Ankara's forbidding of Iraqi aircraft from landing in Turkey, a government official said Saturday.
"We have decided to ban Turkish airplanes from landing in Iraq as of tomorrow Sunday," transport minister Hadi Al-Ameri said in a press statement.
The Iraqi move followed Turkish authorities' ban of Iraqi airplanes from landing in Istanbul airport because of what Ankara claimed was Iraq's Oil Marketing Company's (Somo) unpaid debt of USD five million.
"The decision to ban the Turkish airplanes is final until Iraqi planes are allowed to land in Turkish airports," said Al-Ameri.
The Iraqi foreign ministry tried to settle this issue via diplomatic means but failed, he said, but the Turkish government said the ban was in line with a court order. (end) mhg.bs KUNA 192343 Nov 11NNNN